paw_patrol_fanonfandomcom-20200213-history
Pups on a Hunt
Summary When unknown assailants kidnap Katie under the darkness of night, the PAW Patrol must do whatever it takes to rescue her, and in the process reveal a shocking truth between Ryder and the cold-blooded captor. A sequel to Pups in a Disaster (soon to be written again). Story Chapter 1 "Mates, until we meet again." The PAW Patrol sniffled sadly. Their dear friend, Talon, was leaving Adventure Bay. A month ago, the security Pup had visited the PAW Patrol and unbelievably just in the time to extinguish a fire at the Lookout, saving the entire team in the process. Ryder then hired him to replace a critically injured Chase. Now that the police Pup was nursed back to full, Talon was going to return home. "We can't thank you enough," Chase exclaimed, "We're glad to have you serve with us!" Talon smiled. He indeed had been invaluable to the team. Though formerly in the Special Forces, Talon performed Chase's duties quite well, whether it be directing traffic or chasing runaway truck. The two were the best of friends, sharing interests in community service and adventure. Not only that, the two eerily resembled each other: Strong, sculpted body, handsome face and powerful instincts. "I especially love your equipment! They're so awesome!" exclaimed Rubble. Talon blushed. The bulldog was the biggest fan of Talon's futuristic gizmos, including a mini missile launcher and his excessively large AFV rig. "Thanks, mates! But before I board the train I must first dress up." Talon carefully adjusted his eye-patch. "Why must you do that?" Skye yipped curiously. "Dressing appropriately is an important part of providing top-notch security, mates." Talon replied. The Pup then trotted off into a nearby bush, dragging his rugged Pup-Pack behind. "You know he could've just went to the washroom." Marshall pointed out. A moment later, Talon emerged again in a tactical vest, sunglasses and a PAW Patrol beret, all swashed in midnight black. His various gadgets hung on the hooks and pouches on his clothing like ghetto Christmas ornaments. "Looking dangerous, Talon." remarked Ryder playfully and scratched him behind the ears, much to his displeasure. "You know, mate? I really hate-" Just then, a monotone announcement came over the PA, "Any passengers on Train 113A must board now, as it will leave in 5 minutes. I repeat, any passengers on Train 113A must board now. It will depart in 5 minutes." "Dude, isn't that your twain?" Zuma asked. "Yep," The security Pup hesitantly boarded the blue and yellow locomotive and waved one last time. "Farewell, mates!" "Good bye Talon! We'll miss you very much!" the Pups cried back. Chapter 2 Following Talon's departure, the PAW Patrol resumed their daily lives. Chase continued to sneeze while on rescues, Rocky continued to avoid water and Marshall continued to ram into his friends in the elevator. Ryder managed to build a new Pup transport vehicle called the PAW Patroller and a new, snow-loving husky named Everest had joined the team. Two months later... "Meow meow meow!" "Cali, I told you no treats tonight. We need to save some for the Pups when they get their baths tomorrow." said Katie as she was putting out pet shampoo bottles for display. The kitten continued to claw at her arms. "Meow meow meow." That was no excuse for her rumbling tummy. "And yes Cali, your bath is also tomorrow." "Meow! Meow meow MEOW!" "You silly little kitty! There's a full moon out tonight, why don't you go and enjoy it?" Purring , Cali scampered out and into the dark. In the far distant,the little feline let out a dissonant song full of misplaced accents and wrong pitches. It would surely have drove the neighbors up the wall! And then it happened. Strong arms seized her from behind, putting her in a suffocating headlock. She opened her mouth to scream but stopped when her vision blacked out. A hood had been thrown over her head. Katie then opted to thrash around but it was too late. A syringe plunged into her arm. Swimming in it were millions of strong sedative, powerful enough to knock out an elephant. The girl went limp in the captor's arm. He threw her onto his shoulder and marched out the salon. "Shall I clean up the rest, mon ami?" The captor looked down at his companion, a stock puppy clothed in ice white armor and a skull mask. Outside the glass doors a little kitten was making its way to the building. He knew such a small feline would be terribly frightened by the sight of her owner in a hood manhandled by two evil-looking strangers. "Go for it." He crouched behind the counters and watched as the doors slid open. Seconds later, there was a blood-curdling scream. Or really, just a high-pitched meow. Chapter 3 Beep! Beep! Beep! Ryder jolted awake and turned on his Pup Pad, "Ryder here, how may I help you?" "Ryder, there's an emergency!" It was Mr. Porter, unsurprisingly. The grocer's distressed face bulged out on the screen covered in sweat. Ryder at once sensed an urgent problem with the man. But he could be bluffing too about whatever "emergency" he was sweating over about. "What's the problem, Mr. Porter?" grumbled Ryder, hoping the restaurant owner did not drive his delivery van into a fire hydrant or lose a platter of sandwiches to seagulls. Preparing the team to deal with those small issues is harder than it looks. "It's Katie's salon!" "The salon?" Ryder leaned closer, now genuinely interested after Mr. Porter mentioned his best friend. Was she in some kind of a mishap with Cali like always? "I was just passing by with the usual deliveries when I saw noticed something very wrong." "What?" "The lights were off and-" "Lights turned off?" Ryder interrupted. Katie always opened the salon at the crack of dawn, not matter what. Knowing this made his heart pound. "-and KATIE IS MISSING! I went inside and yelled for her but she did't answer and I went to her bedroom but she still wasn't there and the whole place is trashed and I and I-" Ryder's eyes widened. Missing people in Adventure Bay? It was like reading about penguins living in a desert! Adventure Bay was a very safe and friendly towns, despite frequent minor emergencies. This incident would surely ruin its hard-earned reputation. "Don't worry Mr. Porter, the PAW Patrol be there as soon as possible!" Ryder banged the emergency button. "No job is too big, no Pup is too small! PAW Patrol, to the Lookout!" "Ryder dude, we're wight behind you." Ryder stopped in his tracks and turned around. The Pups were at attention, forming a straight line before him as usual. Embarrassingly, Ryder figured out that he had fallen asleep in the command center of the Lookout. Nevertheless, he forced a serious look. "Ready for action, Ryder sir!" barked Chase. "Pups, we have a huge emergency this morning. It ... might be comparable to the fire at the Lookout." Ryder whispered the last sentence with dread. He hated to bring up the event months earlier that almost killed them all. The Pups gasped in horror. Then it gave way to nervous chit-chattering between Pups. What did Ryder mean by that? "W-W-What happened?" Rocky stuttered. A ripple of fear welled up in his guts, stretching dark fingers across his chest. Even thinking about the fire was too much to bear. His fellow police Pup was a clear reminder. Chase's fur was blackened in some areas, a faint scar ran from his left eye down to his jaw and he walked with a slight limp. "The salon has been broken into and Katie herself is nowhere to be found." The crude animations on the briefing screen struck even more fear into the Pups. "Who would do this?" asked Marshall. "This is over the top. Unbelievable, dude..." Zuma breathed. "The only thing we know is that Katie is missing. We do not know who did it or why they did so. I'm going to need all you Pups. Alright, PAW Patrol is on a roll!" Chapter 4 In no time flat, the PAW Patrol vehicles formed a tight semicircle around the salon. Skye's helicopter hovered overhead. At the front was Ryder, who had gotten off his ATV and was heading towards the bald man cowering near the glass doors. Mr. Porter rushed forward to hastily greet them, "Ryder and the PAW Patrol, I'm so glad you're here! We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible and find where Katie is!" "Thanks for reporting this emergency to us, Mr. Porter. You can go finish delivering now." replied the PAW Patrol leader. "Yep, got to deliver my fresh produce to Major Goodway and them." He glanced as his watch, then almost fell over." OH NO, I'M LATE! I'M LATE!" Ryder and the baffled Pups watched as the bald man bounced back to his van in three long strides and sped off down Main Street. "Nothing suspicious on the roof, Ryder." radioed Skye. "Great observations, Skye." said Ryder. Turning to the other Pups, he gave out new orders: "Go inside the salon and fish out any clues you can find." The Pups immediately scampered into the building, their tails wagging behind. "What should I do?" demanded the cockapoo. "Stay in the air, Skye. Every clue in and around the salon must be picked up." "Will do, Ryder." she promised. Ryder had no doubts that his precious aviation Pup was up to the job. He smiled diligently and started towards the building with a confident mind. It wouldn't take long before they located and rescued Katie, wherever she was. The inside of the salon told no suspicious story. The shampoo bottles were neatly organized, a few of the tubs were still filled with bath water and the lighting was bright and well. If Ryder hadn't been tipped by Mr. Porter about the the situation in the first place, there would be no way for him to tell. Whoever the kidnapper may be, he or she was no newbie to this lucrative business. "Ryder, I found Cali!" Chase called out from behind the counter. He ran to Ryder and gently dropped Cali at his feet, "She was in her bed." The tabby cat was sound asleep and looked well, puzzling Ryder. How could Katie have been kidnapped without her noticing? Then he saw it. Three long scratches crusted in dried blood adorned her back. Ryder cringed at the wound. Rocky, on the other hand, leaned in closer. "These scratch marks have been caused by a Pup." "Chase, can you get the its scent?" The police Pup laid on all fours and started sniffing. He came back up anything but successful, "I just can't seem to get a *Achoo* scent! This Pup *Achoo* must be well-prepared to throw off an expert sniffer like me!" "We must be dealing with somebody very dangerous then," murmured Rocky, "This day just keeps getting worse and worse..." Just then, Rubble rushed over. Clamped in his jaws was a large yellow note, "Ryder! I found this note taped onto the counter. Do you think Katie left this for us?" he asked and handed the note to the PAW Patrol leader. "No, that can't be. It must be a ransom note." Ryder declared. He held up the note. The words were neatly typed and spaced. On the top right corner was a fancy emblem of an eagle and shield. What is the meaning of this? The PAW Patrol leader started reading it aloud: "Dear Zack. If you want to see Katie again, come to the train station alone at midnight tonight. If you don't do as I tell you, if you come here with your Pups, if you try anything rescue her, I will kill. Good luck." "Wait, who would call you Zack?" "It's a clue," Ryder stated, "the kidnapper knows me too, somehow." "Katie has to be rescued, no matter what!" exclaimed Skye boldly and trotted triumphantly into the middle of the huddle, "This emergency will test out our training to the maximum. Ryder can't go by himself to get Katie at the train station!" "Skye, we have to follow with whatever the wansom note says," growled Zuma, then gave her a chilling glare, "Unless you want our fwiend dead." "Who asked you?" shot back Skye. "Enough!" ordered Ryder, stepping between the two. "We'll discuss what to do next back at the Lookout. I'll call the police to look at this place some more and clean up the mess. Skye, bring Cali to the hospital." "Got it, Ryder." Skye picked up the snoring kitten and marched out the door, snout high in the air. "Let's go Pups." whispered Ryder. He quickly exited the building, got onto his ATV and drove away without bothering to wait for the Pups. Reluctantly, the PAW Patrol followed en suite, not sure what will come next. Chapter 5 Katie woke up. The first thing she saw was ... blurriness? She tried moving her body. Her movements lagged behind and refused to move smoothly. She couldn't even thing straight. Bit by bit, everything started to clear up. Katie found herself in a small, dimly-lit room. The only furniture was an old dining chair, placed right in front of her. Katie tried moving again with no avail. She looked down and laughed in frustration. Her body was tried with ropes to a chair. Then Katie began to panic. A thousand questions raced through her mind. Her body tensed up and she began to breath faster and faster. Where was she? What had happened? Who do this? If she was restrained like an animal, would that mean torture, or even worse, death? Her heart dropped like a stone in water. But before she could scream for help, a voice spoke up behind her. "Welcome to my house, Katie." At once, Katie recognized this person. Could it be? "Ryder?" "Close." the mysterious person spoke with a slight crescendo. "Then who are you? Why do you sound so much like Ryder? Why did you kidnap me? You know you'll get-" "So much questions for a prisoner, Katie. Too much to answer in one night." Katie could sense steady movement. Finally, Katie anticipated this moment and the mysterious person came into sight. Her jaws dropped to the ground, as she stared at the face of the now recognizable person. It certainly was Ryder. No doubt, the small nose, the hazel-brown pupils and the tall spiky hair cut. She just knew in her heart that it was him. But at the same time, it wasn't. This Ryder lookalike just denied it seconds ago! The Ryder lookalike smiled evilly and briskly left the room. Once again, Katie was left in a traumatizing loneliness. Katie remained paralyzed, her eyes still focused on the spot where the Ryder lookalike had just stood. Her mind, now somewhat malfunctioning, ran endless loops after loops of the person. Until a menacing growl stopped it all. "Useless blonde, mon ami." Tilting her head curiously and squinting her eyes, Katie could make out a dog in front of her. Although a puppy like the PAW Patrol, he was completely covered by a black jumpsuit, a balaclava and a red beret. A katana sheath hung from his compact Pup Pack. A ninja Pup? Katie considered the bizarre possibility. However, the pet groomer was still furious. How dare this mutt talked to her like that? Attempting to rise up and kick away the Pup, Katie again was confined by the boundary of the ropes. The ninja Pup sniggered, obviously enjoying the sight of a trapped human. Just then, Katie's world started to grow blurry and draining of color. The next thing Katie knew, she blacked out once more. Chapter 6 At the command center of the Lookout, Chase, dressed in his advanced spy uniform, complete with night-vision goggle and a headset, stood at attention while Skye was zipping up the last attachment on his back. Ryder was busy prepping his Lookout workstation, a mass of monitors and computer systems before a single leather chair. "Chase, now that it is close to midnight, I will need you to put your spying skills into action." began Ryder, "Your mission is locate Katie at the train station and relay her approximate relative position back to me. If you succeed, I'll send in rest of the Pups to bring her out. I'll communicate with you via radio and tracking your positions on the monitor for the entire time." "Super Spy Chase is on the case, Ryder sir!" "And Skye, I will need you to drop Chase on the rooftop of the station with your copter. Stay in the area, as you will bring Chase back once the mission is complete." "Let's take to the sky!" yelped Skye excitedly, gracefully somersaulting in the air. "Good luck, both of you. I wish you success." finalized Ryder. Chase and Skye then ran to the elevator and disappeared as it slid down. Settling back into his leather chair, Ryder donned his own headset and activated the main command monitor and Chase and Skye's tracking device. In no time, he observed two green blinking triangles hovering over each other as they encircled the train station, which was marked with a red exclamation mark. "They should be going in now," muttered the PAW Patrol leader to himself. He zoomed in closer until he could make out individual seagulls sleeping peacefully on the roof gables. "I'm dropping in, sir." Sure enough, one of the green dots slowly detached from the other, and planted on top of the exclamation mark. The other green dot waited, then left and glided in elliptical ovals around the train station. Meanwhile, Chase could feel the beauty of the night. The rare quietness, the twinkling stars, the warm air. Yet he refused to give in; his search-and-rescue mission was much more important and severe. "Okay Chase, what do you see?" came Ryder's crackling voice. Scanning around observantly, Chase saw almost nothing out of the ordinary but still decided to report, "There's nothing here except a stairwell and a canvas covering something pretty large. No strange scents. Shall I investigate the roof more, I really would like to see what's underneath the canvas." "Negative, Chase, we cannot waste precious time. You have to head down the stairwell now." Putting on his night-vision goggles, Chase's perspective was instantly drenched in various shades of green, providing more clarity but at the same time erasing fine details. Nevertheless, he proceeded to the stairwell, slowly opened the door and went down until he was reached the bottom, which was also behind an empty ticket booth. "The station is deserted, Ryder. I'm at ticket booth number 8 and will be heading to Terminal 1 to continue the search." "Got it. Just be careful." Adhering to the contour of the walls, Chase maneuvered across without hurry. He sniffed the air for scents, while his goggles found and identified distant objects. Suddenly, his sensitive nose caught a whiff of a weak odor of daffodil flowers and blueberry pie. It sent ripples through his body, and a warming sensation exploded in his chest. "I've got it, I've picked up Katie's perfume scent!" "Follow it, Chase." "Will do, sir." Tracking the pleasant smell of his pet groomer with his face glued to the ground, Chase found himself in front of a green wooden door in a dark hallway. All of a sudden, the spy Pup could hear talking. his ears twitched furiously, attempting at all cost to know what was happening behind the door. It was Katie, and ... Ryder? Disposing the absurd information, Chase eagerly delivered the much-anticipated report, "Ryder, I know where Katie is kept. I'm planting a listening device near her." Pulling a listening device from his Pup Pack, Chase placed the bone-shaped contraption underneath an advertisement beside the door, and promptly activated it. A dim green light shone through the poster, blinked rapidly and finally stabilized with faint blue light. A blue bone-shaped icon would now appear on Ryder's screen, recording any audible conversations in a 5 meter radius, even through physical objects. However much, Chase was reoccupied with the celebration of success that he was't aware of a mysterious presence watching him from the shadows. The presence, the ninja Pup Katie had confronted earlier, got up and started towards him. Grinning from ear to ear, Chase backed away and glanced at his digital watch. Perfect, an hour before midnight. There would be plenty of time for the rest of his team to get in here and rescue Katie from the kidnappers, "Anything else you want me to do, Ryder?" "Can you relay tell me her relative location?" "Oh yeah, almost forgot!" Chase exclaimed, "She's located at Terminal 1, Hall 3 and inside Door Number 10." "Information received. Good job, Chase, your mission is complete and a big success. Now rendezvous with Skye as soon as possible on the rooftop." Chase's heart pounded in his chest like a jolly giant. Unfortunately, all that would change. The sensation of happiness and excitement would soon be replaced by the feeling of dreaded regrets as the ninja Pup stood at a good striking distance away from Chase and spoke in a slight French accent. "Les touristes, including spies, are not allowed, mon ami." Chase whipped around with his stun gun at ready, only to have it knocked out and a clenched paw smashing into his face. Thrown back, Chase regained his stance quickly and rubbed his new injury, a black right eye. "Where is Katie?" the spy Pup growled angrily, "Where is she?" "Who would want to know, mon ami?" The foe wore a black jumpsuit, a balaclava and a red beret, like commandos in the miliary. Yet under the deadly gear was a puppy no bigger or older than Chase. It was the fighting skills of either that decided the fate of the soon-to-be brawl. The spy Pup charged and threw a wild punch. It was blocked with ease. Chase's goggles, in retaliation, were swiped off clean by a swift kick by the ninja Pup. Distracted by the distruptive sight change, Chase was sent to the ground again by a flurry of well-aimed attacks. He shakily again, only to find the enemy vanished into thin air. In a flash the ninja Pup reappeared from behind and wrapped strong paws around Chase's neck. the spy Pup, struggling uselessly for a breath, was finally put unconscious by an elbow to the head. Breathing heavily with pride, the Pup bent over and pulled off Chase's headset. "Hello? Chase? Is that you?" Ryder called out frantically from the gadget. The moment of zero communication between him and Chase would surely have caused panic. "Negative, mon ami," replied the ninja Pup calmly as he toyed with the headset. There was a brief silence, and then he finished his sentence. "Your spy chien is in our hands, mon ami. You've underestimated out abilities." Before the PAW Patrol leader could respond, the headset was violently stomped on until it was no more. Dragging a comatose German Sheppard with him, the ninja Pup caught sight of a blinking light an ad poster. Giving his wrist computer a nudge, a shuriken launcher was produced out of his Pup Pack. It fired a silent projectile, whizzing through the air at incredible velocity. The poster glided to the ground, shredded into pieces, and revealing a mauled bone-shaped device. "Amateurs." scoffed the ninja Pup. There would be no remorse tonight. Chapter 7 Screaming in unprecedented rage, Ryder threw off his headset and repeatedly punched the command monitor until it sprouted spider web cracks. The map of the train station gave way to a fully pink screen. It flickered, then went pitch black. "Ryder, I don't see Chase anywhere on the roof. Do you think he's okay?" It was Skye, the anxious cockapoo appearing in one of the smaller monitors, her binocular goggles zoomed in at full. "Skye, head back to the Lookout right now. Chase has been captured by the kidnappers." "What! I need to go rescue him." cried Skye, "These jerks have one too many of our dear friends!" "Abort immediately, Skye, there's nothing you can do about Chase. It's my entire fault; I underestimated the potentials of these people." Shutting off the entire system, Ryder settled back and reviewed the current situation in his mind. Some ill-fated decision he made in the past resulted in Katie being held as a hostage. Chase's mission to provide recon on Katie's whereabouts had failed miserably. Nevertheless, hope still hung to his soul. He wasn't going to give up just yet. "I'm coming for you." Ryder whispered to himself. Chapter 8 "Chase?" An excruciating pain ended Chase's sleep. Wincing loudly, he found himself strapped to a chair. He struggled and he twisted, but nothing he tried could even make the ropes budge a centimeter. Sniffing the air, Chase caught a whiff of flowers and berries. Somewhere in his mind, that rang an alarm bell. But an alarm bell for what? "Chase, what happened?" Although his basic body functions were beginning to kick in, the spy Pup unluckily continued to ignore the frantic pet groomer. His spy suit and gear had been shed and laid out neatly on a table, taunting him to break out and put it back on. "Chase! Are you listening to me?" "Huh? Who is it?" Chase finally responded. Whoever was talking to him sounding very familiar, yet he couldn't get a grasp of who it was. What was happening to him? "It's me, Katie!" Chase perked up at the name, and turned sideways to see a blonde girl wearing a gloomy expression who was bound tightly to a chair, just like he was. " Katie, I'm so sorry I didn't hear you! Are you all right?" "He never laid a finger on me, but I still hate his guts. As soon as we're out of these blasted ropes, I'm going go over to him and rip his tongue through his cheeks." Katie snarled. "Who's he?" "Looks like Ryder. Talks like Ryder. Walks like Ryder. Only difference is that he isn't Ryder. And that's why I hate him." "How can that be? Is it like his twin brother, long lost twin brother?" "No, Ryder would've told us a long time ago if you were right," Katie seemed to have calmed down, but the murderous look in her eyes persisted, "So Chase, how did you end up here? Were you on like some kind of a spying mission?" Recalling the information in detail, Chase told Katie how Ryder sent him in to find where she was, how he followed her perfume scent to this room and how the ninja Pup picked a fight and eventually knocked him out. "This Ryder lookalike and his dog are very evil. We have to stop them from getting to Ryder at all costs. Luckily, they seem to be the only ones here." exclaimed Katie, "Considering the conditions they're keeping us in, who knows what he might do to Ryder!" "We have to warn him, but how?" "He's already warned, mes amis." spoke a slight accented voice from behind the two. "Let us go, we have done nothing wrong!" barked Chase. As a dog emerged into their view, they both shut up. Without a doubt, the voice belonged to the ninja Pup who had attacked him earlier: red beret, a black jumpsuit and a balaclava. 'Can it be-no, no, no. Talon would never betray us!' thought Chase. In an attempt to appear fierce, he growled menacingly and twisted and turned violently. The ninja Pup appeared unimpressed. "Save your energy for later, mon ami, you'll need it." he commented. "Who are you?" Chase demanded, determined on unmasking the enemy, "Why do you want Ryder?" "Mon ami, I don't want Ryder." he replied coolly and grinned, "Maybe it's time for a little introduction, perhaps?" A robotic arm slid out of his Pup Pack, wielding a razor sharp katana that was gleaming hauntingly in the moonlight. Chase and Katie gasped in terror as the ninja Pup slowly advanced, slashing the air in front of him with the weapon. Whoosh! Whoosh! He stopped in front of the Chase and rested the blade flat-side-down on his shoulder. "You're such a brave PAW Patroller, mon ami, but too bad you couldn't keep your mouth shut like your furry comrades. An extra mutt to look after isn't what we need." "Back off, you monster!" Chase starting barking crazily, hoping to cause some intimidation. The ninja Pup chuckled and withdrew the robotic arm back into his Pup Pack. "My human companion and I may be les monstres to you fools, but in reality, we fight for justice. We fight it from infidels like Ryder." "Don't call Ryder that!" thundered Chase. "I can call him whatever damn I want, mon ami. And why don't you shut your mouth like ce human here," The ninja Pup gestured at Katie, "because she clearly acknowledges when to surrender." Chase glanced back at his friend, and frowned in dismay. Katie had become over-killed. Her eyes froze in place, her face revealed a grotesque look and her muscles twitched locked and refused to budge. The neurotoxin inside her body had begun to wreak havoc again. There was nothing Chase could do to stop that. "She's injected with a non-lethal neurotoxin we commonly use in the Army, mon ami. She'll be fine." stated the ninja Pup. "I promise when I'm set free, I will teach you a painful lesson on never touching the PAW Patrol again, and you'll thank me for it." threatened Chase, "And even if you and whoever you work for want Ryder here, you shouldn't have done this in order to get him." "Oh no, mon ami, we gave a warning. A good warning, but guess who ignored it? Ryder and his PAW Patrol." "And what was that good warning, if I may ask?" "Mon ami, the warning I'm speaking of may have seen accidental but it was all intentional. It was a trap, and of all the PAW Patrollers, you were affected the most." "You mean -" "Yes mon ami, the lightning strike that hit your Lookout a month ago was neutralized safely by lightning rods. Too bad they couldn't defend against une bombe." "WHAT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH -" Chase's face was flushed with the deepest shade of purple. His eyes glowed an angry crimson, his fur stuck on ends and his bared mouth formed a downright terrifying howl, threatening to break loose and dismember the ninja Pup. "PAIN I HAD TO GO THROUGH?" The ninja Pup suddenly lunged forward, the katana sprung into his paws and brushed it against the snout of the spy Pup, forcing him to cower back. "Ferme ton bouche, mon ami, or I'll do it for you." Chapter 9 The full moon shone like spotlights down on Ryder. He wasn't riding his ATV. There was no point. ATV's were somewhat prohibited at the place where he was going. ATV's made too much unnecessary noise. And the "Run 'n' Gun" and "Badass" design of vehicle contrasted with the serious character of the situation he was in. A situation he started off with a heart full of hope but now devoid of any faith. He had given up, for the first time in his life. To add on, the secluded garage under the Lookout would be a much more honorable place as a final parking spot for his prized vehicle than at the side of a curb. Considering if he didn't make it out alive. Earlier, Ryder confirmed he was going to the train station, much to the heart-breaking sadness of the PAW Patrol. Alone to negotiate with the kidnappers, who now held his dear police and spy Pup as well as Katie. There would be no turning back. "But what are the kidnappers going to do to you?" Rubble had whimpered. "But what about the PAW Patrol? We can help you beak Katie and Chase fee!" protested Zuma, tears leaking down his face. "But what happens ... if you die in there?" whispered Skye fearfully. "Don't worry, Pups, It's all my fault. Something wrong I had done in the past that has gotten Katie and Chase in this serious mess. They have the right to go on in life, I don't." said Ryder, kneeling down beside the Pups who were gathering around. "But ... but we need you!" Marshall cried. "Don't leave us, please, Ryder, please!" sniffled Rocky. "I have to go Pups, there's no other choice. And if I die in there, if I die in there along, whether or not Katie and Chase survive or perish, I'll pass command of the PAW Patrol to Jake." "Don't leave us!" wailed the Pups in unison as they buried themselves in Ryder, bawling hysterically. Ryder began to feel the emotional tension within his soul. A year, no less than a year with the PAW Patrol, may not seem like a long time but when he was surrounded by the best Pups on the planet that possessed incomparable rescuing skills, determination and initiative; every emergency they rushed to and resolved seemed like an invaluable lifetime. Ryder hugged them tightly, and uttered one last sentence of hope, "I love you all, Pups." before standing up and departing to the elevator. "Wyder, Nooo!" Zuma wailed, who had to be held back by Rubble and Rocky in order to keep the water Pup from tackling the PAW Patrol leader. "Farewell, PAW Patrol."' '''Chapter 10 Erasing the painful memory, Ryder tried to remain confident by whistling a jaunty tune and remembering a playful day at the beach with Captain Turbot and Wally. But no matter how hard he tried to forget his emotional and probably last time with his dear Pups, it wasn't successful. Finally, Ryder had arrived at the train station. Grand and majestic in the daytime, it was dilapidated and creepy in the dark. A mysterious figure leaning casually against the main entrance noticed his presence, got up and started towards him. Ryder automatically tightened his whole body, fury running through his system but unable to escape. "Ah, Zack, you've come at last. I knew you would make this choice. Shall we begin the transaction?" asked the figure. Examining him, Ryder noted he was about the same height and body frame as him and wore a leather jacket, sweat pants and a ski mask. Has he seen him somewhere? Ryder only managed to growl hatefully in reply. Suddenly, the figure drew up a silenced handgun. Ryder dropped at once, arms cowering around his face and hoped the figure had bad aim. Squeezing his eyes shut and expecting an end to his life, the PAW Patrol leader heard two muffled shots. Next thing he knew, a familiar distressed bark echoed around him. Skye? But why was she following him? And if the aviation Pup was here, then the rest of the PAW Patrol must also be here! Getting back up slowly and surely, Ryder found himself looking down the barrel of the silenced handgun. His heart sank to his shoes again. "Guess our conditions are not met. Your PAW Patrol dogs have been accompanying you, Zack." "No! DON'T KILL THEM! I'm here, just take me, just take me." stammered the Ryder, arms shooting up in surrender. "What a great suggestion." Something extremely sharp sank through Ryder's neck, causing him to fall to the ground and writhe and cry out in agony. Lashing like an enraged alligator to get throw off whatever had latched onto his neck, Ryder only found the excruciating sensation tearing away more and more and literally gobbling up his insides. Blood flew everywhere, yet mercy was nowhere to be seen. "You can stop now." The ninja Pup jumped off from Ryder. His canine teeth and black jumpsuit were drenched in a bright crimson. Ryder was left on the ground in a pool of blood like an abused child and cried in pain. A disturbing bite mark was now present at the back of his neck. "Let the talk begin, Zack." Chapter 11 Rocky swept his hard blue eyes among the four other Pups, who were seated before him at the Lookout. They knew what had just happened to Ryder was horrifying, but worse, an insult to their own kind. What would Ryder think about them now? Skye, in particular, was the most devastated. She sat there shivering and chattering uncontrollably, the thoughts of Ryder fighting getting horrifically mauled by a dog had plagued her mind with unprecedented fear. "I'm - I'm sorry about what had just happened, everybody." the aviation Pup blurted out. "It's okay," reassured Rubble, "Everybody would have done the same if they were in your paws." "Quiet! No need for apologies now." said Rocky sternly. "We have a problem that is a matter of life or death. We are Ryder's, Katie's and Chase's only hope." "So what should we do, Wocky?" Zuma piped up as he dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief. "We have to infiltrate the train station and bring them out." "What!" exclaimed Marshall. "And get captured like the others by them? Have you seen what these people can do? No way!" Rocky angrily leapt on top of Marshall, knocking him down and barking out words of pure disgust. "Listen to me, Dalmatian, I would rather die than see the PAW Patrol disbanded. We serve for the entire Adventure Bay community. We are the very foundations of this town, you hear?" "Stop, Wocky, fighting will not help! We need to make a carefully-planned Wescue." interrupted Zuma, pulling his best friend off. "That's not what Marshall meant, Rocky, you're taking things too seriously." said Skye, rolling her eyes. Rocky shot Marshall another nasty glare and continued his reign as the temporary ringleader of the PAW Patrol, "We will infiltrate the train station like Chase, but we will do something differently this time. Something that will surely guarantee success." "What?" asked Rubble. Rocky trotted over to a control panel and flipped a few switches. A mechanical drone filled the command center as a large metal vault erupted slowly out of the floor. The Pups stepped back in awe, their gaze following the descent of the vault. Rocky walked over, unlocked the door via a snippy biometric paw scanning and revealed the contents. The Pups gasped, not in fright but in excitement. The vault contained militarized versions of their standard PAW Patrol uniforms, all colored in black and grey camouflage patterns and bearing a unifying badge of a dog skull against two crossbones. "Ryder built these when the PAW Patrol was first created. He feared a rescue requiring drastic actions would be imminent." remarked Rocky. "Do we ... put them on?" Marshall questioned, dumbstruck. "Of course. What do you think he wants us to do, recycle them?" Chapter 12 "Wow, I look different." Marshall was admiring himself in front of a mirror, posing in different positions as if he was in a fire Pups' fashion contest. The fire Pup wore an Army helmet, a fireproof vest and a monocle with a red lens. He gave a bark and a small firearm with multiple barrels, known as a Minigun, popped out of his new rugged Pup Pack. His new badge was a burning riot shield against two crossed police batons. Marshall started drooling at the sleek deadliness of his image. Just then, he remembered the other Pups. They too, were dressed to kill. Or whatever dogs who wore these all the time did. Rubble had put on a cumbersome bomb disposal helmet. His combat vest was more heavy-duty than his yellow construction one. His Pup Pack produced a pneumatic catapult with the ability to hurl non-lethal grenades at insane speeds. He too possessed the monocle but with a yellow reticule. His new badge was a frag grenade. Skye's fighter pilot helmet seemed very advanced and high-tech, complete with rangefinders, target locaters and a pink visor. Her battle armor was light but tough and her new jetpack had dual ramjet engine and rocket pod. Her new badge was a cruise missile with angel wings. Zuma had donned on an obstructing scuba mask and orange-lensed goggles. He wore a sleek wetsuit, outfitted with a futuristic scuba system. A high-pressure water cannon shaped like a shotgun perched on his shoulder. His new badge was a Navy frogman with a harpoon. "Hey, wasn't I supposed to have that?" asked Marshall, eying Zuma's water cannon with envious eyes. "Uh, no?" replied the water Pup, unsure of what to say. Probably the deadliest of the team was Rocky. He wore an Army cap, sunglasses with green lenses and a ballistic vest holding multiple throwing knives, each capable of being launched with great accuracy by his two mechanical arms. His new badge was the black-and-yellow nuke symbol. "Alright, Pups, are you ready for action?" shouted Rocky with the charisma of an auctioneer. "Rocky, we don't have a plan yet." Skye interrupted, annoyed, "And we're not trained for Army ops." "Of course we have a plan, Skye, I'm the plan." Marshall held out his Minigun and started pretending he was firing at bad guys, until he began to sway unsteadily and fell over, unable to get back up, "Oops, some help here, please? Guys?" "Leave Marshall there so he won't cause any more troubles." Rocky ordered. "So what we do. Skye will drop us off at the roof. Marshall and Rubble will storm the hostage position from the left, which is Terminal 1, Hall 3, Door 10, while Zuma and I will take it from the right. While we engage the kidnappers, Skye will come in to rescue the Katie, Ryder and Chase." "And what about my second question?" asked Skye again. "Just wing it. These equipment are relatively easy to use, and best of all, they're super light! And lastly, for this mission and this mission only, we will no longer be known as the PAW Patrol. We are now Unit PAW. Hurrah?" "Hurrah!" chanted Unit PAW, their morale now as high as a skyscraper. "I'll go get my copter." stated Skye as she somersaulted down the slide. "Everybody else, ready up quickly! We're going to go on a hunt." Chapter 13 Ryder, strapped down like the unconscious girl and dog on either side of him, bore an unforgiving scowl at the mysterious figure. The ninja Pup laid by his side, sound asleep. "You should release them now." began Ryder hatefully. "I was going to." remarked the figure. "Until I saw you had some help. It's a penalty for your wrongdoing, Zack." "I had no idea they were going to follow me." "Okay, Zack, whatever you say." Ryder could tell he wasn't buying it, yet something else caught his utmost attention. Why was his face covered? "Why do you wear that ridiculous mask?" The figure, taken back by the question, chuckled evilly. He lifted his hands up to his face and with a sudden flick of his wrist, ripped it off. Ryder gasped in shock, "Ranger." Ranger, the person who captured Katie, the person who held her and Chase hostage at the train station, but most importantly, the person was Ryder's twin brother. They were identical, except for Ranger's left facial distortions which was covered by a half white mask, but their personalities were polar opposites. Ranger nodded in acknowledgement and kneeled before his brother, "Long time no see, bro." "Why did you come here, Ranger? You're better off in the Army." "Yes, and that's where I belong now. You see, everymen who have the surname Ryder since the dawn of civilization have served proudly with weaponry." "Doesn't mean I have to." Lunging up, Ranger slapped Ryder hard. Ryder turned to glare at him again, bleeding from a purplish bruise on his cheek. Grabbing Ryder by his vest collar, Ranger screamed in his face, "Listen to me, Zack, every other Ryder men served with great pride in the Army, EXCEPT FOR YOU! You chose this dirty job, where useless mutts are your only friends and where you save a stupid town from stupid emergencies EVERY SINGLE DAY! You disgraced the family tradition. And you will pay for your decision." "You do not lead my life, Ranger," snarled Ryder, "I lead my own. This is where my heart wants to be." Letting go of his brother, Ranger stepped backwards, only to roundhouse kick him in the guts. Ryder doubled over in pain, but was pulled back up when Ranger pounced on his throat. "Zack, this will be the day where you can learn of your true destiny." Ranger sneered, "There is no other way." Ryder, struggling uselessly against brute strength, sputtered and spat, "Let go, Ranger, this is my life. The PAW Patrol and I are one. You cannot break us apart. And what about Dad, he chose a life as a respected doctor." Smiling, Ranger stripped off his leather jacket and sweat pants. Underneath, he wore the same clothing as Ryder. The vest, the vest, the pants, the shoes, everything was literally a clone copy. "Nobody can tell us apart now, Zack. Nobody will see it coming." "You mean ... you're going to impersonate me?" "What better way is there in unstitching you from your imprisonment here in Adventure Bay?" asked Ranger, "I gave you a warning by blowing up your Lookout, you held onto your dumb job, and now you leave me choice-less. Killing you won't be an option; I'll have to force you." "It's not going to work!" shouted Ryder enraged. "Of course it will, Zack. Nobody can tell the difference between us twins." "You're wrong, Ranger." Ryder replied, calming down, "Your attitude and character will spill the beans. Everybody in Adventure Bay will know at once that you're a failing fake." "We'll see about that, Zack. And when I'm done, you'll have no other choice but to join me rightfully in the Army." Chapter 14 Whup whup whup! Skye's VTOL aircraft touched down at the rooftop of the train station, dangling four fully-geared combatants. In an instant, they detached themselves and took up defensive positions along the roof, weapons drawn. Ironically, the goofball was the first to speak. "Oh my gosh," gasped Marshall out-of-breath, "Never ever take me flying with you guys again!" "Stop you whining, Marshall, we don't have time for it. Skye, circle around the station. When we give you the confirmation, drop in and rescue them." ordered Rocky. "Got it, Rocky" The helicopter took off once more, the down-shaft kicking up a tornado of dried leaves and dust. "Alright, Unit PAW, move out." Rocky commanded. "Rocky, I'm kind of scared." whispered Marshall. "What is it now, Marshall?" "Well, uh, you see we're still puppies. Not yet fully grown. Even Chase, the oldest of us, had just had his third birthday like a few weeks ago, so uh -" "We can't turn back. If you're so scared, Rubble will take care for you." 'Mm mm mmph" muffled the English Bulldog. His huge helmet was great for protection against explosives, no so great for having a simple conversation. Every word that came out of his mouth was a mystery to comprehend. Adrenaline pumping through their bodies, the Pups went down the stairwell single-file. Marshall, being the last one, accidentally tripped and crashed into the other Pups. In a big ball of tangled limbs, furry bodies and advanced weaponry, they rolled down. Not exactly a suitable way for infiltrating a target building containing highly dangerous operatives. Chapter 15 Unsurprisingly, the faulty entry made by Unit PAW was heard. The ninja Pup shot straight up and landed on clawed paws, his ears trained to the muffled yet somewhat distinctive groans. Howling wickedly, the dog dashed swiftly out. "I got them, mon ami." he called back to Ranger before disappearing into the darkness. The ninja Pup sprinted and sprinted through a maze of benches and hallways, then halted abruptly at a corner. Listening observantly, he could sense minute movement the adjacent wall. Drawing out his katana, he crept forward slyly. It happened so that Rocky and Zuma were on the other side of the wall. But they weren't as lax as the ninja Pup. "Be prepared for anything, Zuma. We're very close to the location of the three. Expect anything dangerous at this point onwards." stated Rocky, arming his mechanical arms with throwing knives as he stopped in front of a garbage can. "Yes, Wocky –" Suddenly, a startling whoosh broke the silence. The metal can before the lead PAW Patroller exploded in a shower of sparks, then rolled over, cleanly sliced in half. The ninja Pup emerged, wielding his long blade like a samurai. His penetrative and hideous glare was filled with the fire of burning hate. "I knew I'd expect a rescue, mes amis." he chuckled. "Welease Wyder, Katie and Chase and you won't be hurt!" shouted Zuma bravely, his water cannon trained at the undaunted enemy. The ninja Pup sneered and jumped at the PAW Patrollers, his mechanical arm automatically adjusting his katana to deflect a throwing knife flung by Rocky. Then, a salvo of seven knives were launched in rapid succession. The ninja Pup's katana were a blur, and soon enough, the ground in between the two sides was littered with knives. "Stupide," He growled as he swung his katana at Rocky, who ducked and backed away just in the nick of time. Now it was Zuma's turn. Blasting a powerful stream of pressurized water, it hit spot on and threw the ninja Pup against a wall with a sickening thud. Zuma shot another stream, only to be dodged skillfully. The ninja Pup's shuriken launcher was produced and launched a serrated blade at the water cannon, burying itself inside and rendering the weapon unusable. "My cannon's broke!" gasped Zuma, "You have to attack him now, Wocky!" A trio of throwing knives sailed invisibly through the air and jammed the shuriken launcher. It was ripped off before exploding into an awesome fireball. Anticipating this moment, Rocky loaded his last knife and flung it. The shot was a success as the knife severed the katana-wielding mechanical arm. Snarling savagely, the ninja Pup cracked his paw knuckles and got into a fighting stance. Zuma and Rocky followed en suite and cautiously advanced towards the enemy. "Hey, what are we doing?" whispered Zuma. "Paw-to-paw combat." replied Rocky. "What! We haven't twained for this!" "Too late for that." The ninja Pup hollered a furious war cry and charged like a bronco bull. The stunned PAW Patrollers, realizing they have nowhere to run, readied themselves for the fate-deciding battle of their lives. Chapter 16 "It looks like the PAW Patrol are here to rescue you and your friends." declared Ranger as he cocked his silenced handgun and twirled it around his index finger. Ryder refused to budge, talk or even make eye contact. The tension in the air was real. "What? Giving me the silent treat -" Suddenly the door blew open. Dust kicked up immediately, engulfing the room in a dense storm. Squeezing his eyes shut, Ryder coughed without stop and squirmed away from the irritant particles. Ranger staggered like wounded game into the vicinity, then limped up to Ryder, his hand clasping firmly on his firearm, "If your mutt pets did this, Zack, I swear -" Firing from somewhere in the chaos, rounds after rounds of rubber-tipped bullets showered and pounded on Ranger's body, knocking him down. Hastily blocking his face with his forearm, Ranger struggled to get back up. "Go PAW Patrol!" cheered Ryder loudly, despite the sand literally clogging up his mouth. "Shut up, you should be cheering for me!" shrieked Ranger as he slugged his twin brother, forcing him and the chair he was bound to topple onto the ground. Marshall's Minigun continued to fire, the barrels flashing like white fireworks. Ranger, now very provoked, picked up a chair and threw it at the fire Pup, plowing the Minigun off his Pup Pack. Yelping in fright, he rapidly scampered out. "He's after me, a Ryder lookalike is after me!" screamed Marshall out of breath to Rubble, who earlier had breached the door with explosives and was waiting patiently outside, "We need to get some more help!" "Mm mm murph?" "Can you speak properly? I can't -" Ranger sprang into the hallway, silenced pistols gripped tightly and a paranoid look in his eyes. Aiming randomly as he frantically searched for the Unit PAW intruders, it gave Rubble enough time to load a flash grenade. He catapulted it into the air and landed with a metallic ping. "We should scram now!" cried Marshall. He grabbed Rubble's collar and together they sprinted away. Instantly the sights of the pistol was trained on the flash grenade. Ranger breathed a sigh of relief when he believed that it wasn't anything deadly. His heart ceased pounding as he bent over to pick it up. The word "FLASH" was labelled boldly on the grenade. 'Flash?' he wondered, feeling the grenade's icy metal skin, 'Is that like some of a photography thingy?' An intense white light overtook Ranger's eyesight. He was blinded and couldn't see anything, much less retreating dogs. His hands shot to his eyes while firing wild and missing shots with his firearm and cursed loudly. 'Do Ryder's mutts have superpowers or something?' he thought. Chapter 17 Predicting the two PAW Patrol mutts to put up a demoralized battle, the ninja Pup skillfully leaped over them. He grabbed onto each of their ears and then forcibly brought his paws together, smashing them against each other in the head. "Ouch" cried Zuma and Rocky in unison. Landing behind the dazed PAW Patrollers now, the ninja Pup roundhouse kicked Zuma behind the head. The chocolate Lab cried out, twisted around then flopped down unconscious. "Your ami was right, you itty bitty witty chiens aren't trained to do this." The ninja Pup smiled evilly. The PAW Patrol thought they knew everything, climbing mountains, riding waves and playing shadow tag, yet fighting was not amongst them. The violent topic would definitely have been strictly censored by the leader in order to maintain a respectful reputation of the PAW Patrol. Rocky growled ferociously and threw a wild jab. The ninja Pup ducked and then tackled him onto the cold ground. His bloodstained bared teeth reflected Rocky's terrified scowl. The mix-breed thrashed but still was unable to counter the submission. "This is a waste of my time, mon ami. Do you want to get laid the painful or painless way?" asked the ninja Pup, yet in his mind he already knew that his victim would have absolutely no power of choice. "Get off!" Rocky rammed the Pup in the muzzle with all of his remaining energy. Startled by the sudden retaliation, he pounded Rocky repeatedly in the face until the mix-breed gave out and ceased struggling. "Au revoir, mon ami." Suddenly, a lethal amount of voltage stormed his body. Every muscle locked ad refused to budge. A chilling screech erupted out of his mouth. As quickly as it came, it was over. Collapsing to the floor, the ninja Pup made no attempt to crawl away. Every ounce of strength within had vanished without a trace. Yet he still wasn't ready to surrender without breaking a few bones. "I never break promises," came Chase's voice from behind. It was vicious and nasty, "You've hurt my friends dearly," he continued with increasing rage, "NOW GET UP AND FIGHT!" "You want me to fight, non?" the ninja Pup choked. Silence. "Wish granted, mon ami." Twisting around in a blink of an eye, the ninja Pup analyzed his enemy: a German Sheppard in a black spy suit and armed with a crackling stun gun. His face bore an unforgiving glare. Nevertheless, he wasn't intimidated; he had faced much worse. With a swift punch, the gadget went out of sight. Seizing the moment of confusion, the ninja Pup head-butted Chase, thereby shifting the position of dominance. Now the German Sheppard was the one who was pinned down. "You're nothing, mon ami." he snarled. Unfortunately for the ninja Pup, Chase wriggled out a paw, punched his enemy straight in the jaws and forcing him back on his feet. Chase jumped up as well, then withdrew an object from his suit. The ninja Pup recognized it instantly, a police baton, potentially fatal when used against the untrained. Galloping forward with the speed of a dragster, Chase swung the weapon and missed by a hair. The enemy dove to his right and attempted another roundhouse kick. The German Sheppard managed to block the attack, then swung the baton again. Another shameful miss. "Pathetic little spectre." taunted the ninja Pup as he ripped out the baton and snapped it in half. Seizing the moment, Chase speared him down, yet his enemy was the first to recover and put him in an iron headlock. The ninja Pup released it after a storm of cussing and biting, only to the execute the mother of all martial arts moves. The double-pawed hook. Chase flew up high and crashed down hard. He could no longer put up another fight. Many of his ribs were crushed, he couldn't see straight and his body was battered beyond recognition. The ninja Pup inched closer on hind legs. Activating a command on his wrist computer, a trio of titanium knives sprouted out of his glove, more than enough to put the poor PAW Patroller out of his misery. "Just kill me." whimpered Chase , making no efforts to crawl away, "I'll die in honor." "An honorable wish, mon ami." replied the Pup, raising the game-ending weapon. Bowing in a moment of respect, he was about to bury his machined claw into the German Sheppard whne he stopped. He halted. He paused. He couldn't continue the fluid movement of burying it into Chase's back. His hair stood on ends. There was something behind him. "Slash." Now the Pup, whose name had finally been revealed to be Slash, knew that something was definitely not a something. It had just spoken to him in a slight boyish British accent. It was a someone. And there were a handful of someones around the world who were acquired of his name. All of them but two of them have perished from various non-violent causes. And one of them was his human companion, Ranger. That left the other someone. Talon. Chapter 18 Ranger's vision had returned. His cheeks were burning with shame and embarrassment. How could a stun grenade, a weapon so commonly used by the forces he one day was to join, have fooled his hardened judgment and led to the escape of the mutts' escape? The handgun laid nearby. Its silencer was missing. Now whenever the firearm would be fired, everything in this town would know. Nevertheless, his instinct won over logic as he found himself reaching for it. Ranger wrapped his worn hands around the cool metal, sending multiple wave of cold-blooded joy to every nerve in his body. It was an addictive experience he would kill for. Unfortunately, the sensation suddenly ceased. A red and blue sneaker with white laces clamped down on his hand, hindering any movement. Ranger casually looked up. "You're going nowhere, Ranger." Ryder grabbed his twin brother's head and smashed his knee into his jaw. It was a devastating MMA move he had learned a long time ago and at this moment, it couldn't have been done any better. Ranger's head cracked back and he was thrown down. A purplish abrasion remained on his left cheek, an injury common in the Army. Soothing it carefully, he arched his legs and lower back and kicked powerfully, bringing himself up as if he was being revived by a celestial being. "I see you've escaped," Ranger chuckled casually, "Nice move, though. Now let's see what else you have learned." The PAW Patrol leader charged, causing Ranger to scoot to safety and stuck out his foot. It met Ryder's ankle and made him trip. Nevertheless, Ryder absorbed the fall with an acrobatic dive. "Keep impressing me, Zack." "Like I said Ranger. You're. Going. Nowhere." Ignoring the threat, Ranger sprinted at Ryder, arms slicing through the air like a marathoner. Expecting his brother to copy his actions, he was correct. As he watched Ryder start up to run, Ranger imagined a mirror image of himself. Only stupider. Just as they were about to collide, Ranger stuck out his right arm, caught Ryder in the neck and forced him onto the ground. And this time, Ranger wasn't going to be nice. Ranger darted forwards and clamped his hands shut Ryder's throat, suddenly cutting off oxygen. The PAW Patrol leader started to scratch the suffocating hands. He kicked, he trashed and he spitted, but it was all of no use. Soon, Ryder's face had turned a light purple. "Let...GO!" sputtered Ryder, sweat running down his forehead, "I'm your...BROTHER!" "I know, Zack." replied Ranger calmly, "That's why I'm doing this to you -" A leg smashed into his neck. Throwing down his choking brother, Ranger howled in pain. Ryder, on the other hand, gasped for a breath and laid in a babyish position, garbling and gurgling without stop. "YOU BRAT!" shrieked Katie, "TAKE THIS!" The blade of her hand guillotined his shoulder, forcing Ranger to recuperate on his left knee. With rage, he swung his fist at the Katie's stomach, hitting spot-on and causing her to stumble back dizzily. "Fight me, Katie." sneered Ranger. Whooping, Katie launched a hook, only to have it countered by Ranger's crossed arms. The attack deflected off uselessly, and just allowed enough hesitation for Ranger to snap a kick to her jaw. Katie instantly collapsed head-over-heels, unknowingly becoming an inviting target. Drawing out his handgun, Ranger trained it on the unconscious girl's blonde head. And for the second time that night, the firearm was knocked out of his tight grip. Ryder body-slammed him like a professional wrestler, then started to pummel him with jabs and punches. Kicking as if he was a bronco bull, Ranger launched his brother off of him. Ranger retrieved out his handgun and aimed down-sight. Before him was the PAW Patrol leader, still recovering from the sharp blow to his chest. The iron sights hovered around his abdomen and a finger slowly tightened around the trigger. "Bye, bye, Zack." Ranger smiled. Bang! Bang! Bang! Ryder froze. A pained expression took over his face, and remained there. His stomach now had three dark red splotches. Blood was gushing from the gaping holes like a leaky faucet. He crashed down, moaning heavily and clutching his guts. The PAW Patrol leader had been shot. Not once, not twice but thrice. Holstering his weapon, Ranger knelt down beside Ryder and produced a tissue from his pocket. He dabbed the blood coming out of his brother's mouth and then gently ruffled his hair with the affection of siblings. Ryder was still holding onto his stomach. Blood was forming a small pool around him. "You will forever be my dear brother, Zack. You must understand why I have to do this to you." said Ranger as he got back up. "Don't...leave...me...Ranger..." whispered Ryder, a tear rolling down his cheek. Sighing, Ranger walked away into the shadows of the night. Pushing aside the plead of his brother, a new and more sinister thought prevailed. His original plans to kidnap Ryder had failed, but it wasn't the end of the world for him. What did matter was how he would escape. Chapter 19 "Of the things you could've done to welcome back an old pal, mate, you chose to mess with my friends, the PAW Patrol." growled Talon angrily as he started towards Slash. The profanity in his language reflected a burning fireball of hate and anger. "There's nothing you can do now, mon ami. Consider it lucky that I didn't vanquish the others." snarled the ninja Pup, brandishing his metal claws and then silencing the mortally injured German Sheppard with a sharp kick to the cranium, "You don't know how much I want to stick these through their, and your, cerveaus." "Screw you, mate, ever since I left your band of no-life Army losers, you've started to act like a rabid mutt who's messed in the head." "FERME TON BOUCHE!" roared Slash, his bulging veins forming gorges on his balaclava, "Now tell me, mon ami, why did you leave us? POURQUOI?" "Don't worry mate, I'll engrave the reason why on your tombstone." Unleashing a bloodthirsty howl, Slash sprang like a jaguar. If the security Pup hadn't moved, he would have been impaled and hacked into pieces. But Talon wasn't one of those who looked all tough and mean on the outside, yet lacked any self-defense skills. He was a warrior trained for a battle to the end. Talon easily sidestepped and deployed his own weapon, a bone-shaped Tomahawk. He swung it and it sliced off each of the bloodstained claws with consecutive metallic pops. Landing at a good distance away from his foe, Slash turned back and barked with the ferociousness of a protective mother. He might've lost an overestimated advantage, but like his lifelong inspirations, the fearless Japanese Army of WWII, he wouldn't be waving the white flag over his head any time soon. "Too slow, mate, and I thought I'd gotten worse at picking a fight." sneered Talon. Barking, a small tube rose up from his Pup Pack, and an orange missile poked through the top. Barking again, a lick of flame erupted from the launcher as the projectile erupted out at the speed of light. Slash had only enough time to make a hasty dive before the spot beneath where he was standing exploded into a pulsing supernova, lodging tiny bits of shrapnel into the ninja Pup. The shockwave from the blast was so great that some stained windows near the ceiling shattered instantly and Talon himself was knocked a bit back, send his dagger scattering across the floor. Howling, Slash broke into a sprint, vaulted over the security Pup and sank his teeth into the rogue Pup Pack. Crunching down, wires and major circuit boards embedded inside were irreversibly severed, destroying all of Talon's gadget, including the feared missile launcher. The security Pup bucked his legs violently like a rodeo bull, throwing Slash onto the ground. Sparks flew from his mauled Pup Pack. Shedding it, he faced the ninja Pup. Their hardened eyes locked with the rivalry of martial artists. Now both of them were without any arm. It would ultimately be up to the paw-to-paw battle wits that would declare a victorious survivor. "You think kidnapping Ryder and beating up his PAW Patrollers would go by unnoticed, mate? Why would you fools make such a stupid mistake?" "I NEVER MADE ANY MISTAKE!" thundered Slash as he charged once more. Talon flew out, dodged a kick and grabbed the ninja Pup's jumpsuit. He picked him up and pitched him body at a ticket booth. Slash cleanly shot through the glass and crashed against mounds of paperwork and machinery. Never would he expect what was going to happen next. Talon leaped to the ticket booth as well, went to a recovering Slash and hauled him up. He took hold of both of the ninja Pup's arms and held them back while forcing his head forward. It was an excruciating submission that caused Slash to cry out and thrash, but still wasn't enough to break the strength of Talon. "I left the Army for a good reason, mate." growled Talon, "You're serving the Army for a bad one." "At least I didn't betray mes camarades by ditching them!" Slash grunted. That tore it. Talon's eyes blackened until his eye sockets was empty and chilling. His mouth formed a horrendously enraged snarl and his fur stood up like an electrified cat. With a sudden pull he brought Slash's arms past his ears. Snap! Snap! Slash screamed and stopped thrashing. Both of his front limbs had been broken. "Let go, mon ami!" pleaded Slash, tears flowing freely down his face and onto his jumpsuit, "I'm sorry, je suis désolé, just please let go!" "I saw everything you've done, mate. Biting Ryder, scratching Cali, Zuma and Rocky. Slash mate, you really deserve to die." "NO! NO! NOOOO!" wailed Slash as he crumpled down onto his knees, "I'm sorry, mon ami, I'm not ready to die!" Ignoring the whining Pup, Talon decided to end his evil life once and for all. Releasing his grip, Slash let out a pained bark, only to be replaced by a howl of terror as he was punted into the air. And he never came back down. While still in midair, Slash was hit by something blunt. It pushed him forward with so much velocity he shot through the glass, the shattered bits drilling into his skin. The wind whipped and tangled up his fur. And yet he continued blasting forward, towards the full moon. The scene was beautiful. A perfect balance of unity and variety. Of light and dark. Slash knew the twinkling twilight sky was his ultimate destiny. Despite all the atrocities he had committed, Slash felt responsible for a better afterlife. He smiled and closed his eyes ever so slowly. 'Good bye, cruel world.' Chapter 20 Katie stirred. The floor felt like a solid ocean of coolness below her. She stirred again, this time waking up her numb limbs. Suddenly, she felt it. An excruciating pain shot out of her jaw. Katie puckered and held her worn hands against it. The sensation decreased, but still produced a throbbing jolt every now and then. Katie could see clearly. The empty benches. The deserted ticket booths. The lonely railings. The sunrise. Sunrise? She scrunched up her forehead, and slapped herself to make the "hallucination" disappear. It didn't. Streams of tanned golden sunshine flowed like angels through the stained windows. No doubt, it was early in the morning.. How long had she been here? Katie slowly but surely remembered being subdued two days before, interrogated by a Ryder look-alike and then saved by Skye. What came next? Yes, it must be! She was still recovering from the lazy effects of the neurotoxins when she heard a cry. It was Ryder. She had rushed out to find the look-alike execute her best friend. Now way was Katie going to let that happen. Following the mesmerizing rays, she found herself staring aimlessly at the tiled flooring. It created a cascade of light diamonds, dancing around playfully. Then Katie saw it. A growing splash of gut-wrenching red. She changed her focus, and traced the red. It grew bigger and bolder. Until it lead to a series of distinctive shapes. A foot? A leg? A... OH MY GOSH! It was Ryder! The boy was lying on the ground motionlessly and grunting. His knees were tucked up, and his hands were folded around his stomach. It was as if he was vomiting. Vomiting blood from his guts. Rushing over, Katie cringed at the sight. Indeed Ryder was gravely injured. Two holes punctured his vest, saturated with red body fluids, pouring out at a snail-paced but steady rate. It hadn't clot, meaning Ryder was still alive! The pet groomer bent down, and turned over the boy so her face was facing his. "Ryder? Ryder? Are you okay?" Ryder's eyes fluttered open, and his chapped lips formed a thin welcoming smile. "Katie..." "Are you okay, Ryder? What happened?" "Katie...I'm shot through...by Ranger." Ryder still had the smile, his eyes focused like a lovesick bird. "WHAT!?!" Katie cupped her mouth in fright. The holes on his vest must have been made by a bullet. Not a bullet, but two bullets, "We gotta get you to a doctor! Wait, who's Ranger?" "It's okay...Katie...He's my twin brother...I should have told you about this before." "No no no, that's not important right now, Ryder. We need to get you and the PAW Patrol wherever they are, to medical attention as soon as possible!" "Katie, please...I deserve to die." "Ryder, don't say that!" A tear rolled down Katie's cheek, "You can't die, you're - you're too young." "Katie, please...go stop Ranger...forget about me, I deserve to die." "NO, Ryder, I'm staying with you." More tears were now flowing down, "I can't leave you like this. And what about the PAW Patrol?" "Katie...the PAW Patrol can still roll without me." Ryder's voice was growing faint. "No, Ryder!" Katie bowed down on Ryder, cradling him while weeping tears of sorrow, "NO RYDER! You don't deserve to die after all the wonderful things you did to Adventure Bay. You're our hero." "Katie...Katie...you're my hero." Katie looked up, her eyes widening, "You mean -" "Yes Katie...I love you." Katie bawled even harder, "I love you too, Ryder. After all those years, you finally admit it. I love you with the tip of my heart." "Oh all the universes I've traveled through," grinned Ryder weakly, "I had finally come across a star." "Ryder, I - I don't want to leave you." "Katie...Take care of the PAW Patrol, take care of my dear Pups, take care of the community...but most of all," Ryder's eyes glistened as he shed a tear, "take care of yourself. Even though this may be the last time we'll have together, go live a happy life. Continue my legacy. Show the Pups that you still have faith in them." Katie leaned closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their faces came together and they kissed. For a while, they both had shut eyes and tears splattering down. Looking down, she saw streams of dried crimson rivers on his vest. Ryder had stopped bleeding. "Good bye, Katie." Chapter 21 The unidentifiable object shot across the sky. Like a comet, it sprouted a lengthy tail of icy smoke. All of a sudden, it was engulfed in a blazing fireball, rudely ending its journey through the morning sky. Then erupting in a pulsing halo, the burning remains rained down onto the soft lapping ocean below. "There goes Slash." said Talon calmly as he brushed his fur and readjusted the black police cap on his head. "Mighty good aiming there, my mate Skye." "Thanks, Talon." The aviation Pup was near a ticket booth. Her jet-pack was nowhere to be seen. She trotted over to the security Pup, then saw it. Her expression of joy and victory transformed into a gruesome look of horror and pity. Chase, the spy Pup, was lying like a twisted pile of metal on the ground. His jaw was strangely misplaced, his chest, even though covered by an armored breastplate, seemed collapsed and multiple blueish-purple bruises adorned the rest of his body. Rocky, the recycling Pup, was lying next to Zuma, the water Pup. Together, they were a sight for death's eye. The chocolate lab's eyes were still open, though bloodshot and fixed. Rocky's head looked like it was glued to the floor, his fur roughly matted and his baseball cap misplaced. "That dog did all of this?" "Sadly, mate." Talon bent over the German Sheppard and rifled his paw across his bleeding forehead, "Chase here suffered the worse, just like in the Lookout fire. We need to get him and Zuma and Rocky to medical attention. Fast." "Wait, wait, we don't need medical attention." responded Skye, pulling out her Pup Tag, "Marshall is in fact trained in medical operations." "He is, mate?" Talon looked like a deer in headlights. His head scrunched up and recoiled sarcastically. Suddenly, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Whipping his head around forcibly, he saw it was a boy. A running boy. And something attached to the side of his pants. A pistol? The boy continued leaping over obstacles, not noticing him, until he came by a stairwell behind a ticket booth. "Skye mate, there's something I have to do." Talon broke into a sprint as he traced the footsteps of the boy. "Talon, where are you going?" Skye called back worriedly. "think I just saw the person behind all of this, mate, I gonna have to stop him! Call Marshall and Rubble to help you ASAP!" And with that, Talon was gone, devoured by the blackness. Although it was past night, the train station lights weren't turned on. It was the perfect place for a game of cat-and-mouse. Chapter 22 'This was the breaking point of my life.' Ranger thought as he parkoured over fixed obstacles and ran down the various hallways. Just moments ago, he had shot his twin brother. It was a daring move, he didn't want to do it in the first place, but after the intervention from the bloody PAW Patrol, Ranger was left choice-less. Reaching the ticket booth closest to the main entrance, Ranger swung himself over, not touching any of the neatly organized paperwork and stationary, as he steered himself up a dark crevice. It led to a stairwell, marked Staff Only. 'Well, I am a staff sergeant in the Cadets.' Ranger chuckled at his joke and sprinted up the stairs by twos. He was almost at the top. The rising sun shone brilliantly through the window of the door, and as Ranger swung it open, the light flooded it. It burned and stung, a painful readjustment after the hours spent in the lifeless station. Striding over to an enormous object covered by a canvas, he ripped it off. And beneath it was a compact Army helicopter. Its rotors were folded, it's tail was shortened but yet the storage space was very large, easily measuring three meters by four meters. Pressing a button on his wrist watch, the aircraft sprung to life. The rotors rose up, and extended until it was as long as a lamp pole. The tail section whirred and shuddered, and slowly budged out of hiding. Ranger stepped back slowly as he marveled his escape. The controls in the cockpit shone bright colors, inviting the Air Cadet in for a wild ride. He hauled himself in, and just as he was about to leave, he heard a throat clearing, followed by a threatening howl. A snout rammed into Ranger's side, and he toppled over on the seats. A paw slapped his face, and then another and another. "Hello, drill sergeant." Ranger recognized the voice instantly. It was menacing and taunt, a combination of anger and confidence. And mixed in with some British background. "Talon, I never thought you'll come back." snarled Ranger as he kicked off the Pup. Talon went flying and landed against the back of the storage space with a sickening thud. Flipping a swift on the dashboard, the helicopter would now be flying on autopilot. There was no need to be controlled. Slowly, the aircraft rose, the rotors spinning at the rate of an army of machine guns, and it lumbered off. Looking back at Talon, Ranger laughed cruelly at the situation: a battle in mid-air. The security Pup got back up and barked ferociously, "The PAW Patrol are my friends, mate. You think you're gonna turn over a new leaf just like that?" "Whoever wins gets to write the history," replied Ranger coldly. He grabbed a neon-green fire extinguisher and turned it on. Puffs of water soaked Talon, who was blinded by the shower. Nevertheless, he managed a bark and a net was launched from his Pup Pack. Earlier, he had put on a new one, the previous had been brutally bitten off by Slash. The criss-cross of wires caught the extinguisher, wrapping it in a tight hug. Ranger let go of it just in time as the cylinder flew out of his hands and out the helicopter. Yelling angrily, the Air Cadet charged and tried to punch the dripping Pup. Talon dodged with a roll through Ranger's legs and popped behind him. Ranger twisted around quickly and slugged him across the face, sending him sprawling on the ground again. "Talon, Talon. Being your former drill sergeant, I recommend you rejoin our proud ranks." sneered Ranger, "just like Slash." "Nah, mate. Slash went -" Talon opened his paw, suggesting an explosion with this gesture. It provoked the Air Cadet and he charged again. This time, Talon refused to budge, the slap had really knocked him off his senses. Ranger grabbed the security Pup by the collar, and lifted him up until their faces were level, "Listen to me, useless dog, rejoin us. Or else." "Or else what, mate?" grinned Talon, baring his fang-like teeth into a Grim Reaper smile. His face flushed with fury and rage, Ranger ripped off Talon's eye-patch. Underneath it was a disturbing wound. His eyeball was gone, and nothing was left in his socket except for a thin red scar running from up to down. And that scar was the reminder of a knife stab. By Ranger. "Or else I'll do what I did to you with my knife, except to your other eye." and with that, Ranger threw Talon onto the padded floor. Crying out in pain, he was silenced by a foot which stomped against his chest. Bending down, Ranger pulled out his pistol and aimed it at the Pup's only good eye. "Ranger mate, I'll never surrender." choked out Talon, yet not trying avoid getting shot. "That's useless now. Any last words?" Ranger evilly questioned. "Yes, mate." "What is it? SPIT IT OUT!" Ranger was screaming, sweat dripping down his face and pressing the gun against Talon's forehead, "SPIT IT OUT RIGHT NOW!" "I wanna go to heaven, mate." Talon said with a paranoid look in his eyes. "That's it?" Ranger responded. "Even though you're gonna come with me." Reaching under his vest, Talon pressed a button. The helicopter exploded into a mesmerizing fireball, flames licking high into the sky. Shockwaves rang out from it, creating a definite boom. And in no time, the fire died out. The few smoldering remains fell like snowflakes onto the vast blue ocean below. There was nothing left. Chapter 23 The man made his way through. He was in a hallway, brightly lit and "neatly" cluttered with wheelchairs, hanging clipboards and medical supplies. His footsteps, although blended in with the footsteps of the nurses and doctors around him, sounded almost unique. Like a tap dancer. The man was in his early forties, with an eccentric coiffure, well-defined facial features and a broad and tall build. He was wearing a bone-white coat, dark trousers and a stethoscope hanging around his neck, clearly signifying him as a well-established doctor. He was holding a clipboard filled to the rim with important papers and notes. Observing his surroundings carefully like a foreigner, he found himself at his first destination. It was an almond door, bearing the sign number 101. As if on a cue, it opened, and he found himself facing a smiling middle-aged woman in a light blue nurse's uniform. "Hello, Doctor Ryder," she cooed delightfully, "Doctor Benson will be with you shortly for the report." Nodding in reply, the nurse disappeared inside, only to be replaced by another person. It was a he this time, an old bald man with wire spectacles and a handlebar mustache. "Ah, Doctor Ryder. How are you today?" "I'm doing very well, thank you. What's the injury report on the two Pups?" The bald doctor bit his lip and retrieved a folded paper from his lab pocket, "The chocolate Labrador, I think its name is Suma or something like that, only suffered a mild concussion, but strong enough to knock him out for a period of time. The second Pup, a mix-breed called Rocky, was injured more seriously. He has a serious abrasion at the back of his head, along with a serious concussion, but he will live and recover quickly." "Thank you, Doctor Benson." smiled Doctor Ryder as the door was politely closed. Again, he walked along the hallway. His second destination was at another almond door. This time, a note marked "For Doctor Ryder Only" was taped to it. Without a moment's wait, he pulled it off, opened it and began reading. "Injury report for German Sheppard, Chase," he mumbled to himself, "Injuries are: multiple broken ribs, broken nose, broken right front paw, internal bleeding, multiple cuts. Will heal over course of about a month." Taping it back against the wall, Doctor Ryder committed the note to memory and for the third time returned to the brisk stream of doctors, nurses and patients in the corridor. The flow of people moved him along quickly, and before the doctor knew it, he was brought to his third and final stop. It was a metal door, polished and studded with Braille dots. Pushing it open, he found himself another doctor. This one was short and African-American, with trendy full-frame glasses and multiple pens adorning his lab coat. "Doctor Ryder," he began, "To what do I owe to the pleasure of your company?" "I would like a couple of words with the patient." Doctor Ryder responded. "Most certainly, Doctor." The African-American left the room, leaving him alone with the patient. The patient was on a modern hospital bed, outfitted with metal handles and wheels. He was a bare-chested boy with tall spiky hair and a round and long face. His skin was blushing and goose-bumped. His eyes were closed shut. Wires covered his chest, and his stomach and the back of his neck was heavily padded with white bandages. Sitting down next to him, Doctor Ryder put down his clipboard, took the boy's hand, and started stroking it tenderly. Slowly, his eyes fluttered opened. He whispered just one word. "Dad?" Chapter 24 Dr. Ryder solemnly nodded and hugged the spiky-haired boy. He latched himself around the doctor, arms wrapped tightly as he started to cry. "I'm sorry, Dad! So sorry!" the boy sputtered out between sobs, "I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday! It was all my fault!" "Not it's not, Ryder." Doctor Ryder continued to calm down his son, "You have to know why." Bringing Ryder in front of him, the man looked at the glistening tear-welled eyes of the boy. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he sniffled and cried. "Listen, Ryder. It wasn't your fault. It was mine." Doctor Ryder then took out a handkerchief and began wipe off the tears, "I should have not let him down that path in life. Even if our ancestors valued it as a tradition, we don't have to follow, Ryder son." Ryder nodded, still red in the eyes. "I'm so proud of you Ryder. So proud of you. You're the only shining star in our family now." "Do - do you miss him?" Ryder responded. "So much, Ryder. So much." Doctor Ryder gripped the boy even harder. " And I'm sorry to say, that your brother, and my son, was found dead at the bottom of the bay in the wreckage of a helicopter." Ryder's mouth hung open, shocked at what he just said. "It appeared he was escaping back to his Army base when his craft malfunctioned and crashed." The doctor's eyes started to swell up as he continued, "He was so young. So full of energy of potential. May he rest in peace with Mom." "We must let go of the past in order to move forward, Ryder. You have served Adventure Bay beyond expectation. You've made me so so proud." whispered Doctor Ryder as he settled his son back onto the bed, "Even though we don't get to see each other often, let us not forget we are still connected by soul." Reaching into his coat's front pocket, he produced a glossy photo. Placing it in front of their eyes, Ryder smiled as a tear streaked down his cheek. It was taken on the second week after the creation of the PAW Patrol, on a bright and prosperous day, in front of the Lookout. Dr. Ryder, casually dressed and smiling a smile as big as the sun, stood in the center with his arms wrapped around his two sons. Ryder to his right and Ranger to his left. Like their dad, they too seemed to be enjoying the moment. That photo was the only evidence of a peaceful relationship between the two brothers. Before Ranger's temper exploded after Ryder declined his invitation to an Army life, and stabbed Talon in the eye in a moment of carelessness. Dr. Ryder carefully put the photo back, kissed Ryder on the forehead and exited the room. He had left his clipboard in there. As well as a Pup Tag, left beside the now sleeping boy. It was a piece of metal clipped to a loop of chain, and inscribed on it was a bust of a sword with wings and the words "Who dares win" written beneath. It was nothing but proud insignia of the British SAS, the toughest special force in the world. And if Ryder was to pick it up and examine it more carefully, he would find a single word carved neatly into the back. It was a word that would bring back happy memories and joyful experiences. Talon. Chapter 25 "Attention. Large moving object detected 0.5 kilometers from your position. Please acknowledge." The metallic and artificial female voice was the only thing that could wake up a snoozing Talon. He jolted awake, blinking rapidly and thrashing around. Almost immediately, he stopped. There was no need. A red and white buoy wrapped around his waist, providing enough force to keep the security Pup comfortably afloat. Rubbing his drooping eyes one last time, Talon reached for his Pup Tag. It wasn't there. "Bugger!" Talon cussed, "Must have washed off!" Suddenly, a tsunami-wave of feelings and emotions hit him, His stomach flipped and his lungs shrunk. Had he actually survived that? The explosion aboard the helicopter would surely have vaporized him and Ranger, yet he was here, bobbing on the ocean, unharmed. " I must be dreaming." "Object now 0.35 kilometers from your position and closing in at around 20 kmph. Please acknowledge." His Pup Pack was a technological wonder, able to provide information about his surroundings, as well as launch heat-seeking missiles, yet it produced a voice that annoyed him so. Brushing away his absurd comment and looking into the far distance. Indeed, a gigantic oil tanker was heading his way, plowing through the water and blaring its horns. It rattled Talon's bones, shook his brain and caused waves to push him around, yet his mind was focused on a question. Talon had found a ride. A ride where? Back to the PAW Patrol seemed like an obvious choice. His dear Pup friends were there, waiting for him to show up. Next came Ryder's parents' house, where he would be able to continue his security duties and act like a living GPS when the family was to go to their cottage. But a new candidate overtook. Talon reluctantly recalled what Ranger had said to him earlier, back on the helicopter seconds before it blew up. Rejoin us, or else." What had he meant? Of course Talon knew Ranger would never forgive him for leaving the Army. He had ditched his comrades in pursuit of a career that would be comparably worse. Like who would gain more honor, a veteran or a bouncer? And Slash. Yes, Slash was the definition of a cold-blooded killer. Unlike Talon, he trained as a ninja, one of the first, but owed his success to him. Back in the Army, Talon was a mentor to Slash, almost like a big brother. It was only after Talon's decision to quit that Slash turned rogue. It was all his fault. He had refused his legacy, his destiny, his purpose. Talon knew, he had to go back. He was a coward who escaped a life of hard work and pride. He had cheated himself. The security Pup knew what he was going to say to the captain of the oil tanker. He was going to go back to the Army. The End Are you enjoying this story so far? Yes, it's awesome! No, it sucks!